Presentation of the Rescue & Re-introduction
of the Eagle Owl population by the project Berguv NORD in northern Sweden

Introduction

During the late 1950s and 1960s
ornithologists noted that the Eagle Owl population in the northern
part(Norrland) of Sweden was decreasing.

These alarming reports continued in the ´70s and as a
consequence the project "Berguv NORD" was organised.

The original aim of the project was to save the Eagle
Owl from extinction by breeding chicks and releasing them, thus
increasing the population.

The project was launched in 1977 by a small group of
interested bird watchers and environmental protection people, who were
all interested in saving this important predator. In order to get a
complete view of the situation, the project started by surveying old
and existing nesting places or males occupying territories.

Old abandoned nesting places were of special interest for
gathering information about the population in the late 19th and early
20th century.

During this phase, importing of breeding pairs from another
project in southern Sweden also took place at the same time as setting
up local breeding cages within the project. Know-how and ideas were
also subseqently acquired from the project "Berguv Sydväst" project
which was closing down its breeding programme.

Analysis

We found that it was not only sufficient to
increase the number of wild Eagle Owls but of greater importance was
the need to raise public awareness. It was necessary to advice the
general public of the need for this top-level predator in nature and
the necessity for an ecological balance in the environment in our part
of the country.

Objectives

Due to government payments to hunters plus the suspicion that
this giant raptor was stealing the hares, the nesting females were also
shot. Finally the environment was drained of adult birds at the best
nesting places. This continued well beyond the year 1950 when the Eagle
Owl became protected by law.

There is a constant-high mortality rate of young birds owing
to collisions with electrocution by
the connections and line system in the early 1920s coincided with the
time when the numbers of the Eagle Owl were rapidly declining.

C; Year around base food stock; the Brown Rat.

Modern public hygiene regulations and extensive urbanisation
have lead to rubish tips being closed down to reduce the numbers of the
brown rat.Thus the year-round availability of food for the owls has
been limited, especially in remote areas, which has reduced the numbers
of young owls.

Planning of the project

Due to the immense areas of the northern part of Sweden which
the project was going to cover, the project decided to reduce the area
of releases and surveys of former breeding habitats, to 100 km distance
from the coastline. The distance from south to north parts of the area
is about 1 000 km.

In this way, the costs of covering the active area is
considerable reduced and yet the knowledge of the wild population was
well covered, finding the best habitats with good opportunities for
nesting and identifying certain areas for hunting.

Expected achievement

Once the public accepts the reintroduction of this top-level
raptor, then the importance of this bird and the future protection of
all raptors becomes obvious and is accepted. In this way, the public
will protect the species from being illegally hunted and future
acceptance of all raptor birds is ensured. For this reason, the
communication of information by getting on speaking terms with the
local people is vital and avoids the "outsiders" syndrome.

Progress to date

By organising complete mini-projects in every community
(kommun), a flexible and safe organisation was built up with no risks
of possible foreign penetration of breeding places and cages. Also the
public contact with the local organisation enhanced two-way
communication with important "back-feeding" of information without
external help and with limited financial support.

The local mini-projects thus took on the work-load in an
efficient and cheap way, safeguarding the goals and working hard for a
long period of time.

In this way, the production facilieties established for the
whole project were:

The breeding places also have spare cages for hospitalised
Eagle Owls, as well as other wild raptors, can be reintroduced after
minor injuies. This hospital work has big tactical impact on the public
who really care about "the little owls" being treated and released
again.

In this way we receive donations for breeding places and
ensure preventiion of the species flowing into the "black market"

In this way, some 250 naturalists can run the project and
cover the entire area with the help of local people and supporters.

The aim and the results of the active phase of the project
have shown growing tactical understanding, acceptance and support of
all aspects of environmental protection measures in the "Norrland"
region.

The Eagle Owl population has now been raised from the all-time
low 1n 1983 of only 2 breeding wild pairs to some 80 pairs and 80
habitat-holding males, equal to the level of the early 20th century.

The breeding part of the project will be brought to a halt in
five year`s time, giving time to survey the results of the release of
chicks and the rate at which the Eagle Owl establishes itself in the
early part of the 21st century.